The Pittsburgh Steelers were lucky going into the 2024 offseason, as they didn't have to worry about any important pieces hitting the open market. The only free agent they had that they absolutely needed to bring back was Miles Killebrew, which they did fairly early on. Pittsburgh's offseason after the 2024 season will be a bit different, as a handful of important players will hit the open market unless a new deal is agreed upon before the regular season kicks off.
Two of Pittsburgh's biggest contributors on offense, Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth, are scheduled to become free agents after 2024. Both contracts will expire, and the Steelers opted out of the extra year of Harris' rookie deal when they declined his fifth-year option. Deals for both players are still possible, but they would need to get done before the regular season. Mark Kaboly talked about James Daniels, whose contract expires after 2024.
"Although he played well last year, Daniels said the Steelers have told him they won’t extend him before their self-imposed deadline of Sept. 8, as he enters the final year of his contract. It’s a business decision, and I get it, but that business doesn’t make sense unless fourth-round rookie Mason McCormick turns into a starter by this time next year."
Daniels has one of the Steelers' best offensive linemen since signing with the team ahead of the 2022 season. Daniels certainly deserves to get paid, but the Steelers' offensive line is trending in a younger direction. Two rookies are expected to start at some point this season in Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, while Broderick Jones will be starting the whole year. The other two spots will be filled by Daniels and an aging Isaac Seumalo.
The Steelers could be confident in their backup plan at guard, or they don't want to give out a deal after the guard market surged in free agency. Pittsburgh is already spending over 10 percent of their salary cap on their guards, and Omar Khan probably doesn't want to see that number rise.
Realistically, Pittsburgh has plenty of time to strike a deal with any of their players who are scheduled to be free agents after 2024. A deal can get done before or during training camp, kind of like what happened with Alex Highsmith in 2023. A deal could also get done after the season concludes during the re-sign period, where team's are given an opportunity to sign their own pending free agents.
Khan and the Steelers are allowed by the NFL to negotiate contracts during the NFL season, but that is not something the Steelers do. The Steelers have a policy not to conduct contractual business during the season, the organization likes to focus on the product they are putting out on the field.
If a deal doesn't get done with Daniels before the season begins, the last chance Pittsburgh will have to change their mind will be after the season before free agency begins.
Steelers Have Plenty Of Options To Replace Daniels
Pittsburgh definitely has a backup plan at guard, but Daniels has been so good for the Steelers that he would be hard to replace. If the organization does let him walk, a potential replacement would be Mason McCormick, who the Steelers selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Another young player to look out for could be Spencer Anderson, who is the forgotten about seventh round selection from 2023.
If McCormick and Anderson don't work out, Pittsburgh will have plenty of opportunities to address the position. They have recently been more active in free agency, so they could bring in a proven veteran that way. They could also take a chance on a rookie, and draft a guard highly in the 2025 NFL Draft.
